The world can end in a heartbeat

Rating: 8/10 (17 July 2010)

This is intense right off the bat. We are quickly given the backstory, and then we wake up in abandoned, post-apocalyptic UK. The atmosphere and tension grow as we realize what the situation is. While the third act is unexpected and different from(not worse than, mind you) the first two, this is excellent throughout. It is a long trip down a dark tunnel with the occasional crack that lets in a little light, without removing the fear that you won't make it out. This focuses on a small group of characters, and uses that well, developing them and the relationships between them, letting us connect to them. The acting is great; Murphy throws himself at this and explores a wide range of emotional states. This doesn't overstimulate the viewer, but it does come pretty close, as it is rather bleak. The pace is even, and this isn't moves smoothly. Not always fast(well, the story does), but there is a constant real sense of threat and danger. This is one of the three times Garland and Boyle work together(The Beach and Sunshine), and they compliment each other well each time. The energetic visual style of Danny has your eyes glued to the screen, and this, shot on DV(for a grainy, "authentic" picture quality... except for a flashback, that they used Super 8 for... brilliant) puts you right in the situations with hand-held and dynamic cinematography(and the Infected are filmed in a specific manner, rendering them far creepier). This was on a budget, and they faced their limitations, not taking on anything they couldn't accomplish. If you don't know, you can't really tell that this was looking like they might not have enough money to complete it. The music tends to fit the mood where it is used. There is a little humor, and the dialog is natural and well-written. This is psychologically accurate. As this kind of movie ought to, this brings up some philosophical ideas and isn't just about "boy, don't you hope these people live". It was smart of them to choose vira as the source, as those are scary today, and the concept here is a mental, not physical, change. They applied a lot of research about people in extremis. Is this a zombie flick? Depends on how strict your definition of that is. It's changed(have you seen one from before Romero began his trilogy?) before. You could call it a reinterpretation of them, or action/survival horror. There is a lot of disturbing content, a bit of blood and violence(little gore or brutality to it, and it mostly isn't as direct as is often the case today), a moderate amount of strong language in this and brief male nudity including full frontal. I recommend this to any fan of those who made it. 8/10